


à demain

by yosjiefo



Category: My Last First Kiss (Visual Novel)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Valentine's Day, kinda ..... also kind of has a vague plot to it though....
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-14
Updated: 2018-02-14
Packaged: 2019-03-18 10:00:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13679436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yosjiefo/pseuds/yosjiefo
Summary: Valentine's Day is a sweet day, perhaps a bit of a struggle when your boyfriend is a pâtissier, but all the more sweeter by the end of it.





	à demain

**Author's Note:**

> I've been working on this on and off in preparation for today since I feel like the holiday is just perfect for Rin. Also, making content for him is all I can do while I wait for Voltage to finally localize more stories for him. One day, Voltage, I believe in you.

* * *

**à demain**

_see you tomorrow_

* * *

There were just a few problematic things about having a pâtissier for a lover. Firstly, he had busy hours, working from early in the morning to late at night with little freedom for a break; the food industry was tough, and even tougher on him for running a small business, even if it was a long-standing one, and one of his longest employees had flown overseas just a few months ago. The pressure upon him was insurmountable for her to imagine, but not too much that she thought he should get a career change. She would never— not when she knew how much this job meant for him.

Secondly, whenever she visited him, she just wanted to eat. The smell of sweets permeating the air was a temptress in itself, and she knew he would never deny her indulgence. He could make cascades of toffee cakes, delectable cream puffs, and luxurious rivers of chocolate that made her eyes sparkle and her stomach rumble. It ought to be _illegal_ how good his desserts were.

Thirdly, and most devastating of all, had a little something to do with the number she had drawn a big red heart around: fourteen.

( _How could one impress a pastry chef at his own craft?!_ )

Hanging her head low, the brunette barely reached for her drink on the bar’s countertop. A comforting hand patted the top of her head and she could feel its owner’s eyes staring gently at her even if her eyes did not meet his. He began to muss her hair as he spoke, “Is everything okay?”

She exhaled a large sigh and propped herself back up on her elbows, raising her head from the slick wood to now be a bit more proper for the setting. “Mako…”

“What do you think this place is, exactly?” another familiar voice sneered. “If you’re going to look so depressed, at least have the decency to leave yourself at home.”

“Come on, Ichiya. She probably just had a bad day,” Makoto gently chastised his friend before turning back to look at the girl seated between them, “right?”

“When does she not? If she didn’t, then _that_ fool would stop forcing us to go for drinks to cheer her up.”

“Sorry, but I think Ayato just likes to drink,” a fourth voice entered the scene.

“Oh, if it isn’t Riku!” Mika’s cheery voice cried out as she emerged from the backroom. “Come in, take a seat! I haven’t seen your face in quite some time.”

“Riku’s been busy taking a trip with his mentor, Ito. Isn’t that right?” Makoto answered.

“You know, I can answer for myself, bro…”

The cheer that entered the air was certainly one that was welcome, and the merriment bred from the sense of familiarity that glowed when in the company of her childhood friends. There were rarely any guesses and hiccups solved themself so easily even if there was a bit of coldness to Ichiya’s rough edges.

A few drinks into the night and time began to blur a bit. It was always this way when there was the day off tomorrow and she was in good company. The convenience of living in the same building as her go-to place for drinks meant no need to worry about missing the last train of the night, and she could hold her liquor reasonably enough.

“Alright, guys, I’ve got a really big problem here,” she finally brought up.

“When don’t you?”

“Shhh…” Makoto reprimanded him. “That’s just mean, Ichiya.”

Ichiya rolled his eyes. “Alright, fine, what’s your problem?”

Undaunted by the sting of her friend’s words, she continued, “Soooo, you guys know what big day is coming up, right?”

“Valentine’s Day, right?” Makoto answered. “It’s in two days.”

“Yup! But… well… you see, I still haven’t gotten a present for Rin.”

“Huh? I mean, you can still buy one now if you wanted. The stores aren’t going to close before the big day.”

Riku piped up, “No, it makes sense. Think about it; she’s dating a pastry chef. She probably thinks everything she’d give him would suck in comparison to what he makes.”

Somehow, though it was true, hearing it said out loud by someone else made it seem all the more humiliating. Even as she wanted to bury her face into the counter again, Makoto seemed just as bright as ever.

“Oh… that is a pickle, huh,” he mused. “Well, I think so long as you got something with him in mind, he’d be pretty happy with whatever you gave him.”

“Something with Rin in mind, huh…”

For some indescribable reason, her eyes met with Riku’s and though his expression seemed blank, there was a certain pensiveness to it. She quirked her eyebrow, wondering what could possibly be occupying his mind and how to ask about it before his lips moved.

“I better go.”

“It IS pretty late,” came Makoto’s reply. “I’ll come up later and try to not disturb you. You get a good bout of sleep, alright?”

“No, you should leave too. Trust me.”

A wordless _“why?”_ was clear upon the student’s face as he cocked his head. His brother refused to give a response, merely mouthing a count as he started grabbing his things off the counter.

“Tortoise-shell.”

Makoto’s expression fell for a moment before he averted his eyes, a very quiet _“ohhh”_ drawn out of him as he followed suit.

When she turned in her chair, she was hit with the surprise of how close Rin was. It was not as if he were breathing on her but to see him right behind her by just a few steps was certainly jarring.

“Rin! I didn’t hear you.”

“Can’t say I’m too surprised,” Rin quipped. He leveled his gaze on her before sighing. “Let me guess, you didn’t check your phone again at all, did you?”

“Wha…” In the next instant, she opened her bag, fumbling with her hands to retrieve her phone. When she found it and the screen lit on, her notifications was just a log of missed calls preceded by a single text. “Ack-! I’m so sorry, Rin!”

“It’s okay, just… am I interrupting something?”

His eyes flitted back and forth between her and Ichiya now that those two were the only ones left at the bar.

“N-No, not at a—”

“If you want to take her off my hands, you’re free to, Yakumo,” Ichiya butted in.

“Alright, thanks.” Taking out his wallet, the pâtissier left 5000 yen, signalling over Mika. He then grabbed hold of his girlfriend’s hand, he began to pull her out of her seat to follow suit. “Let’s go.”

“But wait, Rin-! That was way too much money for what I drank!”

Mika’s voice rang out as the two left her shop. “Don’t worry! I’ll make it up to you later. Have fun!”

* * *

The crisp night air held a sobering effect, and when they were far enough from Conte, Rin let go of her hand. A sharp contrast hit, the warmth left behind suddenly fighting the chill the night gave to her palm. A bit too shy to ask to hold his hand again, the two fell silent as they came to a stop underneath a street light.

“Sorry,” Rin started, being the first to break the quiet stillness between them. “I shouldn’t have dragged you out of there.”

“No, no, it’s okay!” Rin looked her in the eye, uncertain and in response she offered him a comforting smile. “I’m not mad at you or anything. If anything, I should have checked my phone. I know you get worried, but… well…

“Heheh… I guess I was a little too busy worrying about something myself. Really though, _I’m_ sorry.”

“Well, I guess if we’re both sorry, we can both stop then. There’s no use in just going in circles there.” Rin’s face broke out into a satisfied smile himself, and another quiet pause settled in.

“Um, hey Rin? What _is_ it you wanted to talk to me about?” she asked, but then an idea hit her. “Oh! I’ll check your text first. I’m sure you said something there…”

As she took out her phone though, Rin’s eyes grew wide. “You really don’t have to—”

His protest was too late though as a small fit of giggles escaped her lips as she looked at her screen. In their conversation was a single sticker sent by her boyfriend. It didn’t say anything but was simply a little creature waving its paw.

“Augh, this is why I didn’t want you to bother…” His ears were red as can be when she looked up to meet his gaze again, even if he was averting his own.

“Don’t be like that! It’s super cute!”

“Maybe to you.”

“Hey!” she pouted. “What’s that supposed to mean? And why wouldn’t I just be happy to see you finally send one to me? Here, we can send them back and forth now! I have this same sticker set too!”

“I should have deleted that text the moment I sent it,” Rin mumbled, though the gentle expression upon his face betrayed the regret his words implied as he watched his phone screen load the identical sticker sent by his girlfriend.

“Nuh-uh. Even if you did that, I’d still be able to see it from my side.”

“Then maybe I won’t send another one at all.”

“No!” she cried out. “Please keep sending them! I love them!”

He chuckled. “Alright, fine. Anyway, it’s pretty late, so I’ll walk you back home.”

A small pang hit her as she was overcome with disappointment that their impromptu night together would already be ending so soon. Maybe it was the good vibes spawned by their banter that gave her the strength to indulge in her inner pleas of loneliness as she asked, “Hey, Rin?”

“Hm?”

She didn’t give him a lot of time before she grabbed a hold of his hand this time. “Let’s walk like this.”

Looking down at their interlocked hands, the brunet looked surprised for a moment before his countenance softened. “Okay.”

He wove his fingers with hers, strengthening the grasp they had on one another as they took their steps back to the very place they had left in the first place.

* * *

Staying true to his word, the next morning her phone was greeted with a sticker. This time, the little critter was saying, ‘Good morning!’ A simple message followed it, asking if she was free to hang out the next day. She looked back at her calendar, happy to see how well it all worked out for her to be able to see him on the big V-day.

 

> _ > Are you sure you won’t be too busy? _

It was a legitimate concern of hers, knowing that there were certain to be plenty of customers flooding his store whether to pick up a gift for their loved one or to spend it there with them. The gods smiled upon her though as she read his next reply.

 

> _ > I’ll have time. It’s mostly just orders people are picking up in the morning. We can meet up around 5 if you’re free. _

How lucky! She decided to trust in him, and she rushed to send him an affirmative message before clutching her phone close to her chest.

* * *

The next day, work seemed to rush by as the clock ticked closer and closer to the planned meeting time. She walked up to Hiroki’s desk with a small stack of documents.

“All done, Mr. Eniwa!” Though she was too used still to affectionately calling her childhood friend ‘Hiro,’ it was the workplace and she knew she ought to stay professional with her superior.

“Hm, is that so?” He turned and took the papers off of her hands, thumbing through them as his eyes skimmed them. Her eyes watched him intently, wondering if he might turn her back and tell her there was a mistake she had somehow missed in her frantic double and triple checking. A grin crooked its way onto his visage though as he commended her, “Good job. I suppose you’re heading out early today then?”

“Yes!” she answered, perhaps a bit _too_ eagerly. Her cheeks grew red when she realized how enthusiastic she sounded, but Hiroki seemed to take it in good stride and merely laughed it off in that smooth, charming way that had enraptured her once.

“Alright, treat yourself to your reward then. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Thank you, sir!”

She returned to her desk and shut down her computer before grabbing all of her things— including the large, pastel bag she had brought with her into work that day. She felt a spring in her step as she began to leave the office, passing by Hiroki again.

“Oh, by the way,” Hiroki began to speak, causing her to halt in her tracks to turn and look at him.

“Y-Yes?” A chant entered her mind, praying to the gods that he did not suddenly find that mistake that would keep her in for overtime.

“Tell Yakumo that I say thanks for his good work on the collaboration project.” A knowing smirk graced his features. “After all, I’m sure you’ll be seeing him later today.”

Flustered that her superior could see through her so easily, she stammered in her attempt to give a proper response, “O-Of course…! I’ll be sure to relay that message to him!”

She swore she could’ve heard him continue to chuckle as she sped out of the office, but regardless, even if he was teasing her, she supposed that was his own way of supporting their relationship.

* * *

Parole always gave an aura of warmth whenever she visited it after work.

There were predictably quite a few people cluttering the shop contrary to what Rin had said, something that he apologized for when he saw her come in, but she didn’t mind waiting for him in the comfort of his dining area. She sipped on some tea ( not something she had ordered at first, but it seemed as if Rin was not going to take her just sitting in his shop without having _something_ to eat or drink, and so she acquiesced to him ) as she watched the other customers happily chat and eat with friends and lovers. Others merely glowed as they saw the decadent sweets they picked up, surely off to give them to their loved ones in the privacy of their own homes or out on dates. These were sights that made her heart warm with pride for her boyfriend’s accomplishments— to know that his hard work was paying off and making people happy, as well as knowing that his late grandfather’s wish of helping others be able to say things through sweets was being granted.

She began to feel sentimental as she smiled into her cup, only to be interrupted by the sound of a plate being pushed towards her.

“Leftovers.”

Though she knew he likely set that slice of cake aside for her again, especially knowing that she would be coming over today, she protested, “Rin, you can’t give me this!”

“And why not? I made it.” A wordless _‘I’m allowed to give it to whomever I want’_ floated on his lips, but she stood her ground.

“Because today is special… _I’m_ supposed to be the one treating you, not the other way around!”

“Whatever,” he mumbled a bit flippantly. “Just let me spoil you when I want, okay? It’s really no big deal.”

Sighing, she gave in. “Fine, but only because I wouldn’t want your delicious cake to go to waste!”

“Good.”

The boyish smirk upon his face did funny things to her heart and she chose to combat that feeling by stuffing her face with the fluffy cake before her. Once it hit her tongue though, she could not help but hum a satisfied, “Mmm!”

“I’m almost done cleaning up, so just wait a little longer for me, okay?” And with that, he was gone back to the kitchen in the back. She hadn’t fully realized it before, but it did seem as if everyone else in the shop was gone now including the staff that was helping him. She checked her phone to see what time it was, polishing off her plate as she checked a few mobile apps before he came back, dressed in his casual clothes as opposed to his work uniform.

“I’m all yours now, Tortoise shell.”

Putting her phone away, she rushed to stand up out of her seat and pick up the large pastel bag she had brought with her, fishing items out of it. Various boxes of different colors piled onto the small cafe table before them and Rin’s eyes seemed to be growing wider and wider with every new item she brought out.

“Geez, how much stuff did you bring with you in there?!”

“A lot, I’ll have you know!” When she had placed the last box, she looked up to him and beamed, “Happy Valentine’s Day, Rin!”

“Wait… _all_ of this is supposed to be for me?”

“Yeah.” She grew a bit bashful as she explained, “You see, I was worried that since you always make me such good desserts, you might think that whatever I gave you today would be shoddy. Actually, that day you stopped by Conte, I was asking the guys for advice on what to give you.”

A look of revelation dawned on the pâtissier’s face, as he let out a silent, _“Ohh…”_ She pressed on, however, and continued to speak:

“Mako was the one to tell me you’d be happy with whatever I got you, and I know that’s probably true, but I still really wanted to give you something special. My first thought was to just try and make a lot of them to overwhelm you with, but then I was thinking back to how Mako said more specifically you would be happy so long as I got you something with you in mind.”

She began to open one of the boxes, revealing a set of cupcakes, each one having a different design on them unique from one another. Not only was the icing in a variety of colors, but so was the actual cake portion itself, creating a rainbow of chocolate sweets.

“I thought back to how you made the ‘Toi et moi’ cake with me in mind and even gave me the macaron to convey your feelings with Parole’s concept, so… I decided to do the same.”

“What do cupcakes mean in this situation then?”

Her heart’s thumping was so loud now that the moment had come, and her fingers fiddled with the edges of the box’s cover in her hands. “Well… Truth be told, _all_ these boxes have cupcakes in them. I lost count of how many I made but… I was thinking each one could represent a different day, but each one I made with a lot of love so…!”

Embarrassed, Rin turned his head to the side. Through his hair, she swore she could see them burning a brighter red than the blush dusting his cheeks. “I see.”

“Every day, I love you, Rin. Even if each day, I only get a short moment with you, a moment as small as these cupcakes, they mean the world to me and...”

Her words had begun to trail off when she felt a gentle softness on her lips. She jumped a bit in reaction and he kept a hold on her shoulders as he kissed her, keeping her still as she melted into his display of affection. When he separated from her, they were both blushing furiously and he buried his face in her shoulder. Moving his mouth near her ear, he whispered her first name as he followed it with, “...I love you too.”

She gasped a little in his embrace. His honesty hit her so true, it was unfair— even on the day that it was supposed to be her turn to make _his_ heart skip a beat. When he let her go, he turned to take one of the cupcakes out of the boxes, unwrapping it and as she expected him to put it in his mouth, he stuffed her mouth instead with it.

“Mmphf— _Rin!_ ”

He laughed a little, dissipating the heavy mood in the air. “What?”

Though she was glad to realize the taste seemed good to her at least, she still rushed to swallow it so she could more freely and politely talk. “ _Rin!_ ” she repeated, “I wanted you to get the first bite…”

“It’s okay, there’s plenty of these things to go around— enough for me to share with you. That’s how desserts should be served anyway. Besides… how many do you think I can eat?” Though he chided her, he still grabbed another cupcake and bit into it himself. “......!”

“Well?” She leaned in towards him, eager. “How is it?”

“...One-hundred twenty percent.”

“Haha, _now_ who’s the one exaggerating?” Still, she felt as light as air hearing that from him, knowing he was pleased with her gift and that she was able to have her feelings reach him through the confections that gave him so much life and purpose. The two continued to eat together and when it became too much, they packed up the rest to bring to Rin’s house, smiles blooming beautifully onto their faces into the night.


End file.
